Of Magic and Love
by Wandering Wonderer
Summary: In a world of magic and war, can two people manage to save their nation and fall in love? AU SS Lemon in later chapters
1. The Stormy Night

**Welcome, thanks for clicking the link to this fic, most appreciated!! I hope this story of mine meets expectations.**

**Pairing: S/S (AU) **

**Summary: **In a world of magic and war, can two people manage to save their nation and fall in love?

**Disclaimer: Honestly, why have this part, do they like rubbing it in? Anyway…I do not own CCS or any of its characters. But the imagination is all mine!!! HAHAHA**

**Before we begin, I want to apologise if this story similar to one you have read or wrote. It was unintentional and I would never do such a thing, promise.**

**Now that I've finished my ramble, I present **Of Magic and Love!

It was a dark night out on the fields of the kingdom of Clow. There were howling winds and the only lights were from the moon, stars and lanterns of the soldiers camping out. One man was standing away from the tents, looking towards the forest, keeping an eye out. He was dressed in a grey tunic, with a sword hanging from his waist. He looked to be about 25 years of age and was tall and muscular, with black hair that clashed horribly with his outfit. Although, this outfit was a uniform of the Captain of the Soldiers of Clow, so he could not change.

He heard footsteps behind him but made no indication of the fact.

"Can you see anything?" A much younger voice asked

The Captain looked at the younger man. He was tall, although shorter that himself, with sun tanned skin and brown messy hair that could not be gelled. He had amber eyes and an athletic build, with broad shoulders, subtle muscles, with white teeth and was very handsome.

"No sire, the Sorcerer is yet to arrive." The Captain said

The Prince sighed tiredly. He was only 17 and already on the warfront, but his father told him that it was because it showed support for the rest of the soldiers and that he was skilled enough to fight.

"Prince Syaoran, go back to your tent and I will wake you when the Sorcerer arrives. You need your rest, you're young and your body needs the rest."

"Captain Touya, what gives you the impression that you can give me orders?" The Prince huffed

"Your father's orders gave me the impression when he said 'Make sure he looks after himself, he's new to the war scene'."

Prince Syaoran laughed and nodded.

"Fine, you win, I'll go to bed, but wake me as soon as he arrives."

"Will do sire, good night."

The Prince walked back to his tent and Captain Touya stared back at the forest. The Academy of Sorcery in the capital city called Avalon, had informed all the army camps in alliance with the nation of Clow, that the enemy was soon to strike and said that a top student of the Academy would be sent to every camp to help the war effort. The camp set up on the fields of the state Karuto received word that their Sorcerer would be arriving tonight. They had no other information besides that the Sorcerer was the second best in the Academy and the youngest to ever receive the title of Sorcerer.

The Captain sighed, he had wondered why his camp would get only the second best since he had to also protect to crown Prince. Prince Syaoran had replied indifferently that the best would have been sent to the camp that his father was running, out on the shores of Sumoon on the other side of the nation.

As if to sense his discomfort, the winds picked up to make him even more miserable. Then, out of the forest, a figure wearing a long black cloak emerged. The black figure saw the Captain place his hand on the hilt of his sword and saluted to prove that they were friend and not foe. The figure made their way cautiously over to the Captain and bowed their head slightly.

"Are you the Sorcerer from the Academy?" Captain Touya asked

The figure nodded and the Captain stretched out his arm, extending his hand. The figure reached into their cloak and pulled out some papers, placing them in the Captain's hand. The Captain, under the dull light of his lantern, squinted at the papers. The Sorcerer made a complicated hand gesture and muttered something and the light of the lantern increased enough so that the Captain could read.

"No doubt then that you aren't the Sorcerer. Come, the Prince wants to meet you."

The Sorcerer nodded and was about to say something but the Captain cut them off.

"Come young sir," The Captain said

The Sorcerer sighed and followed the Captain back though the camp. As they passed tents, the pair attracted many stares. The Sorcerer sighed and kept their stare on the back of the Captain, who strode confidently ahead. They soon stopped in front of a large tent in the middle of the camp.

"For the Prince's safety, as it would be less likely for an intruder to reach, with soldiers all around." The Sorcerer thought

The Captain beckoned the Sorcerer inside the tent and the Sorcerer gasped at the beauty of the interior of the tent. It had an actual bed, not a mat on the floor! A table, chairs, a heating device, sink and bookshelf, with interesting looking books.

"Sire, I have brought the Sorcerer, he just arrived." Touya said firmly

The Sorcerer was about to speak when the lump on the bed moved, and the Prince sat up, yawning and ruffling his hair. The Sorcerer took a step back and then took a deep breath to compose themselves. The Prince stood up and put on a shirt and then walked over to the pair that had just entered the tent.

"I'm glad you came, the weather was getting ferocious," Prince Syaoran said

Both the Captain and the Sorcerer bowed their head slightly, in respect.

"Well Sorcerer, tell us you name and introduce yourself." The Captain, standing beside the Prince

"Well, it's 'Sorceress' and my name is Sakura," The figure said

**Well, what do you think of my first chapter of my first fic? I know it's short, but it'll get longer, I promise. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome, flames are not.**

**-Wandering Wonderer**


	2. The Sorceress

**Welcome back to the second chapter of **Of Magic and Love. **I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter!!**

**Pairing: S/S (AU) **

**Summary: **In a world of magic and war, can two people manage to save their nation and fall in love?

**Disclaimer: I DO OWN CCS…wait, no I don't, that was only my dream last night…dang it!**

**Now, on with the story…**

The figure took off her cloak and both the Captain and the Prince gasped as a beautiful young woman was revealed. The Captain had gasped because the 'Sorcerer' was a young woman, and the Prince gasped at the beauty of the young woman in front of him. She had fair skin and shining emerald almond shaped eyes with long eyelashes. Her long auburn hair cascaded down her back and fell to her waist, which was a lovely slender figure. She had curves in all the right places and her black dress complimented her figure and cleavage lovely. A pink tongue darted out and licked her pouty, naturally red lips.

"You're…you're a woman," Touya pointed out

"I am, and I realise that you thought otherwise." She said

"How could the Academy send us a woman? We have the Prince!" Touya continued

Both Sakura and Syaoran frowned.

"Hey, I resent that!" Syaoran said

"I mean nothing by it my Lord, but I thought that the Academy would send us someone skilled so that we would not have to worry about your protection." Touya said

"I am fully capable to use my magic and protect the Prince! Read my papers, I am the best at the Academy."

"That's impossible! You must have stolen the papers." Touya accused

"Sure, because a male could be called 'Sakura' and have 'Miss' written in front of it. Also, a man would have to have written in 'Special Requirements' that he needs 'sanitary protection for menstruation period'." She snorted indignantly

Both the Prince and the Captain blushed and Touya dropped the papers like hot coals. Sakura muttered an incantation and the papers flew back into her hands.

"I am a skilled Sorceress and capable warrior. I have been at the Academy for 12 years and I have always been the best, even at a young age." Sakura continued

"How old are you?" The Prince asked, not accusingly, curiously

"17 Sire, I'll be 18 next April."

"You can't have been at the Academy since you were 5," Touya said

"I have, because my parents discovered at a young age that was able to make things happen with hand gestures. The Academy allowed me in to harness and perfect my skills. I saw fighting class and have been in that since I was 10."

"Your papers say that you are 'second best', even the message I received said that, why do you keep saying 'best'?" The Captain accused

Sakura placed her hands on her hips and Syaoran found that very attractive.

"I am the best, the only reason it says 'second best' is because the 'best' only ever beats me in the theory tests by 1 or 2 marks. He is the favourite of my sexist Master Sorcerer, who believes that women can't use magic. Although I beat him and his 'favourite' in practical battles every time, whether magic or fighting."

Prince Syaoran snorted with laughter and Touya's mouth twitched with amusement.

"So, if you think that having a woman at your camp will be harmful to your safety, you are mistaken. I am fully capable to fight, protect myself and others, plus I have the added bonus that I have magic to help me. I was the one who had the vision that the enemy was coming soon."

"That was you? You saved the future of Clow." Syaoran said, impressed

"I do what I can to help sire," Sakura said, bowing

"Sire, we should go over our strategy, since you are awake. I shall go and get the other leading officers." Captain Touya said before bowing and leaving

Syaoran walked over to his bed and straightened it up. Sakura smiled at the impression the Prince wanted to make on his officers. Syaoran saw the smile and smiled sheepishly in return.

"It would not be fair if all my men had to make their beds as soon as they awoke while their Prince did not." He explained

"That is very noble of you, thinking of your men first." Sakura replied

Syaoran shrugged and sat down on his bed, looking over at Sakura. She broke eye contact and looked around the room, blushing slightly.

"This is a very nice room sire, unlike any tent I have ever seen."

He shrugged. "Royal perk I suppose,"

Sakura smiled sweetly at the playfulness of her Prince. She had always heard that the Prince liked to relate to his subjects and that he, like all teenagers, liked to have fun. He and his father, King Jin, were talked about as the kindest monarchs that ever ruled Clow.

"Did you like the Academy?" Syaoran asked

Sakura was shocked; no one had ever asked her that before.

"It is all I've ever known. I never went to a regular school and I didn't live at home because my family was killed in a raid the day after I went to the Academy."

There was silence in the tent as Sakura averted her eyes. Syaoran chose to end the awkward silence.

"If it's any consolation, I know how you feel. My mother died when I was born and I pretty much grew up on the castle grounds, never travelling with my father when he went on royal trips."

There was another silence and she placed her cloak back on around her shoulders.

"Are you cold, would you like some tea?" Syaoran asked, mentally kicking himself for being rude

"I am fine sire,"

He eyed her again but she nodded and he sighed in defeat. Presently, the Captain and 5 other men entered the tent and bowed to the Prince, before eyeing Sakura…and her body. In fact, she had sensed the men coming and felt more comfortable with having her cloak on, hiding her dress, as it had attracted men's stares although out her journey. Syaoran stood again and the men all huddled around the table. Sakura listened to their strategy and admitted to herself that it was good and that it would work well.

Her vision suddenly went dark and then a premonition forced its way into her mind. It was a mass of spears, swords and arrows. She saw a green flag with a snake on it. It was the enemy nation's flag, the flag of Zaxu, the fighting nation. She left the premonition and saw that none of the men had noticed her slumbered state as she stood still.

"Excuse me your Highness," She said

No one heard her and she walked over to the table, placing a hand in the middle of the map currently being examined. The men all looked up at her, surprised.

"Sire, I just had a vision. Zaxu will attack," She said

"What, when?" Touya asked

"I don't know all I saw was-"

She gasped and was pulled into another premonition, but this one was different, stronger. She opened her eyes and found she was in a tent, but not Prince Syaoran's. There was a Zaxun flag on the wall so she surmised that she was in a Zaxun tent. Two men entered the tent and Sakura gasped, waiting for the shout of surprise, but the men looked and walked right through her.

"Damn the Clow Sorcerer who had that blasted premonition. Now their army is ready for us. If I ever get my hand on the blabber-mouthed Sorcerer, I'll wring his neck. Give me the Sorcerer over the royals any day, for he has disadvantaged us!" One man said

"Captain, the camp is packing up and we are almost ready to begin out journey to Karuto. If we keep a steady pace, we will arrive on the night of the full moon." The other said

Sakura gasped as a Clow soldier was brought into the tent. He was badly beaten.

"Captain, we found this scout near the camp. He is from the King Jin's camp. When we tortured him he had something very interesting to say…go on, tell him." The new man said as he hit the Clow soldier's head

The soldier groaned in pain but the Zaxu soldier hit him again.

"Top students from the Academy of Sorcery have been sent to every camp of the Clow forces." The soldier said with some triumph

The Zaxu Captain growled and unsheathed his sword and impaled the beaten Clow man. Sakura screamed in pain and was pulled out of the premonition.

**Cliffhanger? Why would I do such a thing? Next chapter will be up soon, I promise!! Reviews welcomed!!**

**-Wandering Wonderer**


	3. It Moves Along

**Welcome back for lucky number 3…Chapter 3 that is. **

**Pairing: S/S (AU) **

**Summary: **In a world of magic and war, can two people manage to save their nation and fall in love?

**Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, if I did, I would have made it longer…**

**Previously, Syaoran, Prince of Clow, met Sakura the Sorceress. When in his tent discussing tactics, she was pulled into violent premonition. But then some silly author stopped writing…**

Sakura opened her eyes screaming. She sat up, realising she must have fainted with the force of the new premonition. Looking at her was every man present in the tent. Prince Syaoran had a wet cloth and was at present dabbing her forehead, which she realised was sweaty.

"Are you okay? You collapsed in a fit," He asked

"It-it was a premonition, but it was different. I wasn't just looking over the scene. I was there, I was standing in the Zaxu Captain's tent, but they couldn't see me. Oh, it was horrible." She cried, putting her face in her hands

"What happened?" Touya asked

"The Captain and another man walked in, and the Captain was furious…with me! They know that we know they're attacking. Then a Clow soldier was brought in, he'd been tortured, he was all bloody. He told them that top students at the Academy had been sent to Clow camps. Then the angry Captain killed him. It was horrible, I felt the man's pain, and it was awful. The second man said that the camp would leave tomorrow and they were heading here. He said that they'll arrive on the night of the full moon."

The men looked at one man who was wearing glasses.

"They'll be here in 7 days exactly then," The man said

"Someone has to send word to King Jin's camp. He needs to know that his son's camp is to be attacked, they'll send troops." One man said

Sakura groaned and Syaoran led her to his bed, letting her sit down.

"The Zaxu Captain knows that we have the advantage because we know of their coming attack. He said that he would rather kill the Sorcerer that told the fact, than the whole royal Clow family."

"We won't let that happen," Syaoran said, placing a hand on her arm

The other men besides Touya had no idea that Sakura was the reason that Clow knew of the attack.

"When you send word to your father, tell him that one of his scouts from his camp has been captured and killed by the Zaxu Captain." She said

Syaoran nodded and then looked at one of the men, who hurried out of the tent.

"Tomorrow we will begin more vigorous training." Touya stated before leaving the tent with the other officers

"Are you feeling okay?" Syaoran asked

"A little dizzy but otherwise I'm fine. I've never had a premonition like that before. It was a present event, not a future one."

"Come then, I'll take you to your tent," Syaoran said, helping her to her feet

On the way to her tent, she attracted many hungry glances, which did not go unnoticed by the Prince. He led her into a small tent which also had a proper bed.

"Conditions at this camp are much better than any other camp. Each man at this camp has a proper bed, it allows for more alert men." Syaoran said

Sakura, in her tired and dizzy state, only nodded and took off her cloak. She reached behind her and began undoing the buttons on the back of the dress, exposing her smooth, fair back. Syaoran blushed and turned away, heading for the door of the tent.

"Someone will wake you at 7am." Syaoran said. "Goodnight,"

Sakura sensed that she was alone in the room and finished undressing. She conjured her bag from her room in the Academy. This was a trick that the Sorcerers were to use when travelling. It allowed for light travelling and it alerted those left at the Academy that they had arrived safely to their destination.

She changed into her nightclothes and fell asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow.

The next morning she was awoken by a shy, young boy, most probably a squire. He blushed as she sat up and her womanly figure was revealed. He waited outside the tent as she changed and when she exited her tent, every male head turned her way. She was dressed in tight pants that allowed for running, swimming and fighting, and her top was similar, except it didn't hug her torso like her pants hugged her legs. The outfit was black and showed off her figure. She carried a sword at her waist and a long pole was slung over her back.

She followed the blushing squire as he led her through the camp, stopping outside Prince Syaoran's tent.

"You were asked to meet Prince Syaoran here," the boy squire muttered before leaving

She stood still outside the tent. She didn't know whether to call out to Prince Syaoran, acknowledging him of her arrival, or to walk in. She opted for calling out as she walked in. As she did so, she came face to face with the back of Prince Syaoran…his naked back. She blushed and looked down as he swivelled around to face her.

"Sakura, I did not expect you for 10 minutes…excuse my appearance." He said as he slid on a tunic top

Sakura nodded silently but kept her gaze on the floor. As she heard him move away, she looked up.

"I am sorry, I did not know-" She was cut off

"Think nothing of it, it was a mistake." He said kindly

She cleared her throat and took a breath in. "You summoned for me sire?"

"Yes I did. While at this camp, are you to train, practise magic or research?" He asked

"All of the above sire," She said kindly

Syaoran smiled at her and she felt her face redden. She found her Prince very attractive and kind.

"Well, after breakfast, you will spar with a soldier and we will see how good you are, is that okay with you?" Syaoran asked

"Yes sire," She replied

He nodded and then went to his sink and washed his face.

"Are you comfortable at this camp?" He asked suddenly

"Yes sire, I am, and I apologise if you think I am a burden. I will prove otherwise."

"Sakura, to me you already have. You have saved the lives of Clow twice with your premonitions alone, if that's not worth of gratitude, I don't know what is."

"Thank-you sire, you don't know what that means to me."

Sakura blushed and looked down at her feet. As she did do, Syaoran took the opportunity to look at her lovely figure in her current choice of outfit.

"Why do you wear black?" He asked

"It allows me to be inconspicuous at night and it is the Academy's colour." She replied

Syaoran nodded in understanding and headed for the door of his tent, allowing Sakura out first. As they walked through the camp, many men saluted or nodded in respect at Prince Syaoran as they passed. Sakura found herself in the food area and a large, happy looking man was serving up warm porridge with honey and there was a choice of fruit available. Syaoran collected a bowl and handed it to Sakura, before taking one for him. He led her to a collection of small crates, used for chairs.

He motioned for her to sit down and she did so, and he sat down next to her. They ate in silence for a while, before 3 young men about their own age sat down with them, each giving Syaoran a slap on the back.

"Well 'sire', is this the famous 'Sorcerer' everyone is talking about?" The smallest one asked

Sakura was shocked at the friendly and confident tone this soldier had towards the Prince. Syaoran only laughed and nodded.

"She is. Eriol, Takashi, Yue, this is Sakura, she's the youngest 'Sorcerer' ever to be given the title and is the best at the Academy." Syaoran said

Sakura looked at Syaoran and smiled warmly, he believed her when she said she was the best.

"Nice to meet you Sakura, I'm Takashi," The young man with black hair said

He was just taller than Sakura by about a centimetre and had his eyes closed. She studied him, waiting for him to open his eyes, so she could see the colour of his eyes, but after a few seconds they didn't open, surprising her. The second introduced himself as Yue, and he was the tallest. Yue had silvery long hair tied up in a low ponytail to keep it out of his eyes. The last boy was Syaoran's height and introduced himself as Eriol. He had jet black hair, a mysterious smile and round, wire-rimmed glasses with blue eyes.

"I grew up with these idiots, they're practically my brothers." Syaoran explained to Sakura as he took a mouthful of porridge

She laughed at 'idiot', as Syaoran said it affectionately.

"Yes, but we get no royal recognition," Takashi sighed mournfully

Syaoran snorted with his mouthful of porridge and some escaped. The other 3 boys laughed whole heartedly and Sakura smiled happily, before her eyes danced with tears.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Yue asked

She was pulled out of her thoughts and smiled. "Oh yes, it's just that I never had this, close friends. It's nice to see that some people have close friendships that they consider siblings. I never experienced that." She explained sadly

Syaoran's eyes softened but Eriol spoke before he could.

"Well Sakura, you're welcome to be part of the group," He said

She looked at Syaoran with twinkling eyes and he nodded as he swallowed.

"But we all play a part. I'm the funny one, Takashi's the stupid one-"

"Hey!"

"Yue's the smart one, and Syaoran's the one with the connections. What could you be?" Eriol asked

Sakura looked like she was thinking seriously for a second, before smiling widely.

"The good looking one," She smiled

The boys all joined in with her laughing and they attracted a few glances.

"No, I'll be the one with the magic," She said after wiping tears of laughter from her face

The guys nodded in agreement and then were silent for a minute.

"Hey, I'm not stupid!" Takashi said suddenly and the group was filled with laughter again

As they laughed, Captain Touya walked over, looking serious. The laughter stopped and Syaoran stood up.

"Yes Captain?" He said, becoming serious

"We have a problem…Sakura, you should come too." He said, before walking away

Syaoran looked down at Sakura and she stood up and began following Touya, before turning back to the three sitting down.

"It was nice to meet you…thank-you."

She turned around again and followed Touya, Syaoran following her, watching her butt as she walked.

She followed Touya back to Syaoran's tent, where he went inside. Once Syaoran was inside, they all sat down at the table.

"We just received a message from King Jin's camp. They thanked us for the message about the scout and told us that the man had been on a patrol around the camp, which meant he was kidnapped by the enemy, which means they were close." Touya said solemnly

"But if they were close to my father, they should have attacked."

"Which means that they want to attack us specifically," Sakura said

"Why us though?" Touya questioned

"Why not, when you have the chance to kill the heir to the throne? Kill the king, Prince Syaoran becomes King. Kill Prince Syaoran, and there is no legal heir to the throne and Clow is in chaos, easier to beat in a war. They could do that, or kidnap him and hold him for ransom. 'Hand over the kingdom or the Prince dies' scenario." Sakura said sadly

The two looked surprised at her.

"What? Second best in class, I know my politics." She explained

"We have to send you home," Touya said to Syaoran

Sakura's heart dropped and she didn't know that Syaoran's had done the same.

"No, I'd be showing my men that I'm a coward, and I'm no coward!" He said

"It'd be for your safety," Touya tried to argue

"If I had my way, every man in this camp would be sent home for 'his safety'. But I can't do that, so you can't send me home. I stay to the end, fighting like any man, for the good of his country, and we both know that every single man is here voluntarily, they want to help their nation." Syaoran said

Touya sighed defeated and Sakura looked up at him.

"Was there something else in the message?" She asked

"Yes, they have been betrayed. Someone at their camp has begun to send information to the enemy in Zaxu." He continued

Syaoran growled and slammed his fists on the table. Sakura placed her face in her hands and sighed.

"This informant has told the enemy where to find unique sorcerers with a special power over an element." Touya sighed

Sakura looked up and gasped and the two looked at her.

"The enemy is going to use partial Elementalists."

**Partial Elementalists, what am I blabbering about? Find out next chapter…**

**Although, next chapter won't be for ages…I'm so sorry!! I'm going on holiday and not coming back till late January. Between now and when I leave, I will be packing and such, so I won't be able to update. I promise the day after I get back, I'll update, it's all on my computer, and I just have to transfer it.**

**For your patience too, also after I get back, I'll be starting a new story. It'll be a crossover of Tsubasa Chronicle (For S/S fans), Inuyasha, Full Metal Panic (my new favourite manga) and Tekken (3 to 4ish). I'll probably put it in the Full Petal Panic category of the site.**

**Reviews welcome!**

**-Wandering Wonderer**


	4. Girl Power!

**Welcome back for Chapter 4, full of action galore…hey, that rhymed! **

**Pairing: S/S (AU) **

**Summary: **In a world of magic and war, can two people manage to save their nation and fall in love?

**Disclaimer: I asked for the rights for Christmas, but no such luck...damn**

**Also, there is an Ice Age reference and a name from Mulan, I also don't own either.**

**Before I, in a cruel, inhumane way, stopped the last chapter, Sakura came out of her premonition, things were realised, more characters were introduced and fights were fought.**

**If you haven't read the first 3 chapters, I propose you do…but why would you click the link to this story and skip to the most current chapter. That'd be like reading the middle of a book before the beginning…which I've heard some people do…not me…anyway, on with the story.**

"No…" Captain Touya gasped

"Why only partial?" Syaoran asked

"A partial Elementalist is named so because they only have power over one element. A true Elementalist would have power over all four elements of fire, water, air and earth, but such is only spoken of in legend. There has never been a true Elementalist and it has been written in prophecy that one day a true Elementalist will appear from a white light and save the destruction of earth as we know it." Sakura explained softly

"Sorcerers have power over the elements, aren't they Elementalists?" Syaoran asked

"No, we can only manipulate the elements using incantations. An Elementalist can create and control an element, and in theory, the true Elementalist could create, control and manipulate all four elements…a worthy ally in battle." The Sorceress explained calmly

"What will we do sire?" Touya asked

"We will keep our eyes and ears open for any talk of the enemy finding Elementalists. But for now, we train." The Prince said, standing up

He walked out the door, Sakura and Touya following close behind.

Walking back to the eating area, Syaoran commanded for the attention of his men, and it was the first time Sakura would really see him with his Prince authority.

"Men, listen up. We have been sent a message by my father's camp. The enemy has acquired the help of partial Elementalists, which are magicians that have control over an element. Although we do not yet know which element they have control over, we are confident that we can overcome this obstacle."

"Are we that confident?" Sakura asked herself

"That's right, we are confident! But as extra measure, our Sorceress will be leading us in defence lesson against magic." Touya put in

"WHAAAT? I will?" Sakura cried out

"Yes, you will, but first, we need to check your fighting strength…Private Fa, get up here and face our Sorceress in hand-to-hand combat."

"Captain, I must protest-"

"Nonsense sire, it's important to know the limit of her ability."

"It's alright your Majesty, I think he's right. I'm just going to have to prove to him that girls can protect themselves and that we can stand on our own two feet." Sakura said

Syaoran nodded and stepped aside, allowing the nominated Private to come forward. The Private stepped forward and took a fighting stance, looking quite sure of himself. Sakura only rolled her eyes, removed her sword from her side, the staff from her back, and took a different stance.

The Private charged at her, going in low around her waist. Sakura quickly side-stepped, but left a foot where she had been standing, and the Private tripped over her foot. There was laughter from the crowd.

"Hey, check it out. Dinner and a show."

"You idiot Takashi…its only breakfast." Eriol snorted

Back in the fight, the Private had recovered from the tumble with a summersault and was facing Sakura again. This time coming in high, Sakura changed her strategy and ducked, tackling the athletically built man at the waist. The two tumbled to the ground, with Sakura on top and the Private struggling for the upper hand on the bottom. Using his weight to his advantage, he rolled the two over and smirked down at her once she was underneath. She suddenly scowled and brought her knee up and kneed him in the groin.

A collective moan of pain erupted from every male present as the Private Fa collapsed beside Sakura. She stood up and dusted off her hands.

"I use everything to my advantage." She said

"That seemed a bit harsh," The shocked Captain said

"You call it harsh? He touched my ass…I call it reflex."

Captain Touya looked at her like he had seen her in a new light.

"Okay, granted, you're a good hand-to-hand fighter, but how are you at sword play?"

"Why don't you face me and find out?" Sakura snapped, she didn't like being underestimated

There was the sound of muffled laughter as Captain Touya drew his sword from his side. Sakura looked over at her sword, muttered an incantation and the sword flew over and landed gracefully in her hand. Touya seemed unaffected by this impressive display of sorcery and took a sword fighting stance, Sakura following suit.

Unlike the Private, who had been dragged off to the medical tent, the Captain didn't charge at Sakura, but began circling her instead. So he could not be attacked from behind, she, began turning with him.

"Come on, what is this, a fight or a dance?" Takashi cried out, which was followed by peals of laughter

The two facing each other, paid no attention to the antics of the crowd, and kept sussing their opponent out. Finally, it was Sakura who made the first move. She took a slow step forward and then she was nothing but a blur as she ran at Touya. He blocked her attack but that didn't stop her. The two swords clashed at expert speeds as both tried to knock the sword out of the other's hands. The crowd watched in awe at the skill of the two sword wielding proficients.

Sakura made a complicated hand gesture and the sword resting firmly in Touya's palm was uprooted and went flying into the crowd. Sakura stood with her sword at Touya's throat, giving him a look that told him that he had lost a fair fight. He visibly swallowed and nodded ever so slightly, and Sakura lowered her sword. There was an eruption of applause from the crowd as she sheathed her sword.

From amidst the thunderous applause, Prince Syaoran spoke.

"Sorceress Sakura, you have indeed proven yourself a worthy fighter. I ask now that you fight me, not to prove yourself, but as a challenge, for no one has ever beaten Touya except me."

**HELLO!! I live!! I told you I'd be back. I got back from my holiday yesterday, it was awesome. Also great news: I got offered Journalism at Edith Cowan Uni, my first preference!!! WOOOT!! Uni doesn't start till March though, so I may get out 2-4 updates before then.**

**I normally read fics where Sakura needs to be protected, being the precious princess she's written to be. However, I thought that, if, in the manga, Sakura can be magically stronger that Touya, why can't she be stronger than him with swords in my fic.**

**Will Sakura beat Syaoran? Will we find out who the betrayer is? What sort of partial Elementalists will the enemy use? Will I shut up?**

**Read, enjoy and review to find out.**

**-Wandering Wonderer**


	5. Sensual Swordplay

**I'm so sorry! Please accept my most humble apologies for this late update!**

**Romance and action in this chapter, what more could you want?**

**To my reviewers:**

**Dbzgtfan2004-Thank you so much for being my first reviewer! I hope you enjoy more of my upcoming S/S stories. Read the end of this chapter for the instructions to get to another story of mine.**

**Krizue-Update done! Enjoy! Thanks for the review!**

**Alessandrina-I dedicate Syaoran's slightly Hentai nature in this chapter to you. You wanted it, so you got it! Makes him more appealing, no?**

**Canadiangal94-This fight scene is for you, is it like you expected it to be? Sorry it took so long, I wanted it to be as good as possible.**

**T G Athena-I hope you find the humor in this too! The CCS anime reminiscent moment at the end is for you**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CCS, and therein, any of its characters. Takashi's stupidddi…stupidittly…not smartness is mine. (This Garfield reference is also not mine)**

**Please enjoy this long overdue Chapter 5 of 'Of Magic and Love'**

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Sakura shrugged her shoulders and took a different stance than the one she used fighting Captain Touya. Syaoran pulled his sword from the sheath that had been resting on his side. Slipping easily into a stance, Sakura could tell he knew how to handle a sword.

"Seeing as we both need to be in top physical condition for the up and coming battle, the first to be disarmed loses. Fair?" The battle-ready Prince said

Sakura only nodded and gripped her sword tighter, planting the idea firmly in her mind that her sword could not leave her hand under any circumstance.

"I promise a fair battle, my the best person win." Syaoran said, shifting his stance slightly

Sakura smiled at him, glad he used the word 'person' instead of 'man'. There was a quiet hush over the crowd, as all present were genuinely interested in who would win. The solemn atmosphere was broken when Takashi shouted.

"If Sakura loses, I'll scrub the dishes for a week!" He shouted

"I'll do them for a week if Syaoran loses!" Eriol replied

This declaration startled both Sakura and Syaoran, making them look into the crowd. Looking at Takashi, she nodded appreciatively his way. Looking back at the Prince she smirked.

"Sorry sire, I have to win now. I can't very well let Takashi do the dishes for a week."

"I feel the same way for Eriol."

Things suddenly went silent again as the two slipped into battle mode. Everyone seemed to have stopped breathing, the birds had stopped chirping, and all that remained was a slight breeze that cooled Sakura's hot face, having fought 2 battles already.

Studying her opponent carefully, she couldn't really make a decision on his battle play. Would he be a strategist, and have a move for every occasion, or would he be a 'winger', someone who winged it, using their strength and talent against their opponent. She was snapped from her thoughts when she saw that his feet slid a further more apart and he gripped his sword tighter, drawing it towards him slightly.

"Maybe he's both?" She questioned in her mind

Across from her, Syaoran was picking his strategy.

"Should I go at her, and use my weight to unsteady her? The possibility of her being able to repel me is minimal…maybe I should let her make the first move? No, I'll go first."

Sakura saw his right foot shift and she steeled herself, he was coming. Not a second later, the Prince was running at her, sword held high. As he came into range, Sakura lifted her sword and set a foot back as a brace. There was a loud clash of metal on metal as the two swords collided, Sakura having successfully blocked the attack.

"Okay, she blocked…good…time to use my weight against her." He thought

The two swords had collided so that the 'X' was sitting just under Sakura's chin height. Leaning over the 'X', Syaoran smirked down at her, using his weight to uproot her footing. Sakura's eyes widened for a fraction of a second as she felt her knee click, she couldn't last much longer under the weight he was pressing down with. Meeting his gaze, she knew that he knew her predicament.

"I use everything to my advantage," He whispered to her, echoing her words from earlier

Sakura felt her knee click again. "I have to do something!" She screamed in her mind

Shifting her foot slightly, she put more weight on it, which confused Syaoran. Smirking, she shifted her sword so the collision of the two didn't look like an 'X', but more of a '+'. Syaoran's eyes widened and Sakura's smirk increased before using her bent leg as a spring and pushing forward. Unprepared for her tactic, Syaoran stumbled a few feet back and took a defensive stance, which Sakura did too.

"So do I," She said, smirking

Syaoran snorted with laughter and ran at her again, this time his sword was aimed low. Sakura was ready for this and she blocked and then parried his blow. This time she came in first, aiming high. The two swords clashed again and again, wielded by two expert swords (wo)men. One of his blows came in strong and Sakura lost her footing for a second. Syaoran saw an opening and went for in, but she did a back flip, using no hands, but only the momentum and inertia forcing her backwards.

As she flipped through the air, the bottom of her foot collided on the flat of his sword. Using that as anchorage, she pushed down hard, giving her greater lift in her flip, and causing Syaoran to slide backwards, his sword skimming the ground. When Sakura landed, she fell comfortably into an offensive stance. Watching Syaoran, she saw him move from his stumble, into a defensive stance.

"You have a fluidity about you when change stances. You rarely see such ease in a man; their enhanced muscles from training seem to robotise their movement. You use your muscles to increase fluidity throughout your body. It means your muscles are very strong, all of them are toned, defined and in good working order." She said aloud in a playful voice

"Did she just flirt with him using analogies?" Eriol whispered to Yue

"You seem to be very flexible. You could probably get in and out of all sorts of positions." Syaoran quipped back

"Oh, that was very subtle!" Eriol whispered sarcastically

"And very unlike Syaoran," Yue continued, though seriously and eyebrows raised

"No, when he's comfortable in a situation, he acts like a normal teenager should." Eriol continued. "Though only an idiot wouldn't realise that that was blatant flirting!"

"I don't get it, how were they flirting? Their fighting, how could they be flirting?" Takashi asked absently

Syaoran's words had his desired affect, making Sakura blush. On the sidelines, Touya frowned slightly.

Sakura stared at Syaoran, her heart pounding, and not because she was exhausted. His slightly sexual comment had rattled her, and not in a bad way. She decided to play along.

"That is true sire. I've often been told that my flexibility is one of my best assets."

All male eyes widened, except Takashi's, who still didn't get it. Eriol looked at Syaoran, and snorted with laughter. Sakura had successfully thrown his comment back at him, causing his cheeks to redden slightly.

"I can't let her win!" He thought

"Maybe I should come over there and see for myself." He said aloud

Several things happened at once. Sakura blushed hard; Eriol and Yue snorted with laughter, and Syaoran ran at Sakura, their swords colliding in an 'X' again. Syaoran smirked down at her, realising he'd won the verbal battle…now for the physical battle.

Sliding his sword down along hers, he stopped just short of the hilt, where upon in speed that looked only a blur to the naked eye, released the pressure he had on her sword, moved his closed and bunched fists and knocked her closed fists, holding her sword, upwards.

Sakura's sword sailed through the air and then landed on the ground a metre and a half away. Syaoran moved his sword to her chest, finalising her defeat. Stepping backwards and bowing, she accepted her defeat gracefully. Sheathing his sword, he held out a hand to her, offering her to shake it.

"No one's ever come so close to beating me. You almost had me a few times there."

Sakura smiled and shook his hand. It was only then that the two realised the cheering crowd around them. Looking at Takashi, Sakura smiled sadly.

"Sorry Takashi it looks like a lost."

"Damn it!" He said

"Thank you for your confidence though! So, as it's my fault you're stuck washing dishes…I'll help you." She continued

"Men, the defence against magic will begin in one hour! Be back here then, ready to begin!" Touya shouted to the talking crowd

The crowd dissolved as men moved back to their tents. Looking back at Sakura, Syaoran smiled at her, to which she replied. Touya noticed, and once it was only he and Sakura left, he looked at her.

"I want you to stay away from him!" He said

"I already knew that, I knew he didn't need my protection!" She replied curtly

"No, I mean away from battle, stay away from him. You'll only distract him from his duties!" He snapped

"I'll do as I please! If I want to talk to the Prince, I'll do so!"

"Look, as a swordsman, you're talented and could protect him well. As a woman, you'd only distract him and cause his downfall!"

"I have no idea where all this is coming from, but I don't intend on 'causing his downfall', you make it sound like I'm some kind of enemy of the nation!"

"I heard the comments, I saw the looks! Stay away form him, you'll only get him killed!"

With that, Captain Touya stormed off towards his Prince's tent, probably to tell him the same thing. Walking over to and picking up her sword, Sakura wondered where those comments in the battle had come from.

"It must have been the heat of the moment…adrenaline. Yeah, that's it…"

Picking up her staff, she headed towards her tent, to rest and clean up for the magical defence class she'd be running in 50 minutes.

**

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**

**There, a nice long chapter! Please review and tell me what you thought of the fight scene, I worked hard to make it as easily imaginable as possible. If you could see the battle going on inside your head, my work was not in vain.**

**Again, I apologise for the long wait! To make it up to you, I've started another story. It's called 'Punches, Kicks, Guns and Keh!' you can find it in the Full Metal Panic section (in Anime). It's rated M, so put that in the search corner of the FMP page. There are not a lot of M rated romance fics, so it'll be easy to find. **

**It's a crossover between FMP, Inuyasha, Tsubasa Chronicle (for SS fans), and Tekken. I'm already half way through writing the second chapter, where Inu/Kag get introduced.**

**In this chapter, Touya tells Sakura to stay away from Syaoran, reminiscent of the anime, though in my fic it's for a different reason. I felt Syaoran had to win, so I could make it clear that he's not a pansy and needs to be taken care of in the upcoming battle. **

**There was romance in here, and there's more to come. Stay tuned!**

**Read, Enjoy, Review!**

**-Wandering Wonderer **


	6. Magic, Pride and Unwanted Visitors

**Welcome to Chapter 6 of 'Of Magic and Love'. Sorry it took so long, Uni's been hectic, and I'm still adjusting. Plus, this would have been up sooner, but my internet was on the fritz for about 2 days mumbles unhappily.**

**Thank you to all my reviewers for having faith in me, I hope I continue to capture your interest. Gollum like I feeds off it, my precious.**

**I actually do that impersonation very well, ask anyone who knows me.**

**Anyway, in this chapter, Sakura displays some of her awesome magic skills and the plot moves along.**

**Disclaimer: Sigh…another dream that I owned it, but that's all it was, a dream. These characters belong to CLAMP, I admire them…and envy them.**

* * *

50 minutes later, Sakura was again standing in the training area, though this time, she didn't have her sword, only her staff. Standing beside her, was Captain Touya. Her arms crossed angrily, she was tapping her foot on the ground, waiting for all the soldiers to congregate, so she could begin teaching and get away from Touya…or at least cast a spell on him.

Prince Syaoran approached the two and nodded to them, indicating that all the men were present. His eyes travelled to the slightly irritated Sorceress, before his Captain's look of warning caught his gaze and he lowered his eyes. Sakura knew that Touya had talked to Syaoran.

"Alright men, listen up! The Sorceress is going to teach us how to defend ourselves against magic." Touya shouted, making Sakura jump.

"Thank you Captain, I can handle it from here." She said with false politeness.

Stepping towards the men, she placed her hands on her hips.

"Does anyone have any experience with defence against magic? No…good, it makes it easier to teach when I don't have to teach different people different amounts. Prince Syaoran, could you come here please?"

She could have as easily chosen any other man, but she chose the Prince just to spite Touya. The Prince joined her at her side, enjoying the fact that he could also annoy Touya, for the Captain had been fairly rude when he'd come to his tent.

"Defence against magic is fairly simple, the fundamental element is to be able to sense when attack is coming your way. While throwing random magical attacks at you would be as effective as throwing someone into the water to teach them to swim, I'm not that cruel, I will take the time and make sure you all have at least the basic defence." She said smiling warmly. "Now, sire, please close your eyes."

The Prince closed his eyes without hesitation, which made Sakura smile heartily.

"When you all begin practicing, you'll have to close your eyes. Although once you know how to sense the incoming attacks, it will no longer be necessary. Prince Syaoran, focus only on yourself, forget everything around you. Imagine you're standing in a black room, with no light, window or door."

Syaoran nodded as he did so. The men standing in their units paid close attention.

"Good, that's very good. Now, focus on your senses, you're sense of hearing…" She whispered something under her breath and he laughed. "You're sense of touch…" She stepped towards him and softly traced a hand down his face, to which he shivered, though not unpleasantly. "And your gut feeling, your intuition of sorts."

As he nodded, Sakura took a few steps to her right, so that she was now standing behind him. Having acutely focused on his sense of hearing, he turned his head, his closed eyes staring in her direction.

"That's very good sire, you've adapted your senses accordingly." She whispered, and he nodded to show he heard her.

As softly as she could, she muttered an incantation and sent a small ball of energy towards her Prince. Touya charged forward, placing his sword at Sakura's throat, his back faced from his Prince.

"Traitor, hussy. You abused his trust and attacked him."

"It's part of his training 'captain'." She nodded in the Prince's direction.

"Touya, what the hell are you doing?" Syaoran snapped.

The Prince had opened his eyes, having successfully dodged the energy ball, and turned around to see his Captain with his sword to the throat of a woman, Sakura no less. Touya swivelled around, astonished to see that his Prince was unharmed.

"How did you…" Touya trailed off.

Sakura smiled at the Prince and nodded. "Yes, tell your men how you knew the attack was coming."

He smiled. "I felt the aura!"

Yue and Eriol gasped, knowing a little about magic.

"You just taught him one of the hardest skills of mind magic, the ability to sense auras!" Yue said with an awed voice.

"That's right, and by the end of this session, you will all know how to do that skill. But first, you'll need to be partnered up with a sorcerer."

"How can we do that? You're the only sorcerer here!" Takashi shouted.

Sakura closed her eyes and placed her hands together, palms placed together and facing away from her chest.

"FUKUHON SEIMITSU MAINASU ICHI!" She shouted.

As she shouted this, for every man on the training ground, a clone of Sakura appeared directly in front of them…except the Prince. Once the few sexual comments had been made (by the men), Sakura spoke.

"A miniature part of my magic has been transferred into each of these copies. They will throw random attacks at you as I did to the Prince. So…begin."

The men spread out and closed their eyes. Sakura watched as some men successfully…and some unsuccessfully try to dodge magical attacks. It didn't surprise her or the Prince, who was standing beside her, that Yue and Eriol picked up the technique on their first try.

"You three must have latent magic flowing through you veins." Looking over at Touya, she saw that he had also mastered the technique. "He too must have magic in his family history. Now sire, we should keep practising, we need to check that one time wasn't a fluke." She teased.

For the next fifteen minutes, the men and their magical partners practised their aura sensing ability, and to Sakura's jubilation, all men were able to master it.

"I'm so proud of you all! As long as you can use this power, you will be safer in battle. The only other technique I can teach you is the ability to be able to deflect minor magical attacks. Depending on whether you have magic flowing through your veins or not is an indicator of the amount of power you can deflect. For example…the Prince, the Captain, and the soldiers Yue and Eriol will be able to deflect stronger attacks than the rest of you. This is not meant to be an offence to anyone; these men just clearly have magic in their blood."

Sakura recalled her copies, allowing all her magical abilities to return to her.

"Sire, if you'll please be my guinea pig again. Close your eyes again, this time, instead of focusing on your senses, focus on within yourself. See the power flowing through your veins, summon any magic circulating through your body. I'm going to throw another energy ball at you, and I want you channel the power you feel into your fingertips and focus on protecting yourself."

This time, Syaoran looked slightly hesitant, but when Sakura smiled warmly, he relaxed.

"Don't worry, even if you can't do it, it's only a small energy ball, and it won't hurt."

He closed his eyes and did as he was told. Sakura waited patiently until she felt he was ready. She released a small energy ball, true to her word, and as it flew towards him, she smiled proudly when a faint green, transparent barrier deflected the attack. The applause prompted Syaoran to open his eyes and he opened them soon enough to see Sakura catch the deflected energy ball and let it seep back into her skin.

He smiled proudly at her. "I felt it, I felt it coming, due to the first technique, and then I felt it impact on my barrier."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly before she smiled.

"Congratulations sire, I wasn't going to teach you how to use both techniques at once until tomorrow."

His smile increased as he looked her in the eye.

"You must just be a good teacher."

She blushed slightly and turned back to the rest of the men, informing them that they had to try to do the same thing. Calling out her copies again, every man had a magical copy partner. Sakura wasn't surprised to see that Touya, Eriol and Yue not only created a barrier the first time, but they also said that they were able to use both techniques at once.

By the end of the training session, Sakura, panting slightly from using so much magic, smiled at the men.

"You should all be very proud of yourselves, I know I am. All of you can do at least one of the techniques, which will support you greatly in battle. I think we all deserve a break now. Just remember to practise whenever you can, it increases your endurance to the usage of magic. If magic has never been in your family, you should be extra proud, for one day, your grand children will be telling their grand children that you were the one to bring magic into the family."

Some of the men smiled happily, others saluting her in gratitude, to which she happily replied the gesture.

* * *

Later that evening, Sakura was sitting with the Prince, the Captain and a few officials, eating dinner, when a scout came running up to them.

"Sire, there are two men waiting for you at your tent, they are from your father's camp. One is the sorcerer, and the other is his mentor."

Sakura, who was sipping some water, nearly choked on it. Both the Prince and the Captain looked at her, though one look was of concern, the other was of surprise. Sakura placed the drink down and stood up frowning, heading towards her tent.

"Sorceress, they did not request to see you!" The scout shouted after her.

"I'm not going to them, I'm going to bed. Those are the last two people I want to see."

Syaoran watched with confusion as Sakura walked away, slightly hurt she didn't say goodnight. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Touya told him that they had to go see the men. Rising from his place, he motioned for the officials and Touya to follow him.

* * *

Arriving at his tent, Syaoran was surprised to see a young man his age, and another that was older than his father. The younger of the two men had purple hair pulled back in a ponytail. He had silver eyes and a scar on his left cheek. He was athletically built and slightly shorter than the Prince.

"Your Highness, what an honour to meet you." That young man said. "I am Hito Uen; I am the sorcerer from your father's camp. This is my former teacher and my mentor, Jimi Dansei."

The older man of the two, Jimi Dansei was a man in his fifties, with thinning hair and dry skin, but of strong build. Jimi bowed exaggeratedly to his Prince.

"Your Highness, I cannot begin to describe how honoured I am to meet you. I can only hope that my star pupil will serve your father well. Pray tell, who is the Sorcerer here, another of my pupils?"

Before Syaoran could answer, Sakura emerged in the tent. Hito's eyes raked over Sakura, before he scoffed.

"Nice to see you again Sakura. What are you doing here? Did you get lost and wander in?"

"Sakura, I had no idea that the Academy directors would be stupid enough to send a woman to protect the Prince!" Jimi said loftily.

Sakura turned her lips up into a forced smile. "How nice to see you two again…"

"Miss Sakura, do you know these men?" Syaoran asked, clearly aware of the amount of animosity lingering in the tent, it was almost stifling.

"Prince Syaoran, this if Hito, he's the No.1 at the Academy, and this is our teacher, Dansei-sensei."

Syaoran immediately remembered that Sakura had loathed her 'sexist male Master Sorcerer' and his star pupil…this was most likely them.

"You didn't look surprised to see me, did you know it was me that came to visit?" Hito asked.

"Well, the scout said that the King's sorcerer was here. The Directors would have been out of their mine not to send the 'best' to the King's camp." She said sarcastically.

Syaoran looked between them. "Sakura, does he not know that you have pre-"

"No he doesn't." She said, cutting off her Prince, telling him that it was a secret between her and the Directors.

"Sakura that is no way to speak to the Prince!" Jimi snapped.

Sakura bowed her head in apology to Syaoran, who waved it off.

"Was there a reason you came here?" He asked though.

"Yes Highness. What time do we begin training tomorrow?"

"8am sharp."

"Thank you sire," She said bowing to both him and Touya, before bowing stiffly to her old Sensei.

"Yes Sakura, go get some sleep, you need all the rest you can get, more training wouldn't hurt either. Don't forget there's a war coming in six days." Hito sneered.

Sakura straightened up. "I have not forgotten thank you very much. What are you doing here any way? Shouldn't you be at King Jin's camp protecting him and training his soldiers against magic?"

"Normal soldiers can't learn such techniques!" Jimi snapped again.

"With all due respect sensei, I taught every man in this camp how to sense auras and deflect magical attacks." She headed towards the door of the tent. "Goodnight your Highness…Captain Touya."

She omitted Hito and Jimi's names, she said goodnight to the other officials and left to her tent.

* * *

Upon entering, she sat on her bed, picked up a pillow and trough it to the floor.

"Dammit!" She cried out.

Picking up the pillow, she placed it back on the bed and then began getting ready for bed, thoroughly exhausted from using so much magic. Once lying under her covers, she tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. Just as she was closing her eyes, she heard someone enter her tent. Sitting up straight, she was surprised to see Prince Syaoran standing there.

"Your Highness?"

"I came to see if you were alright. Those men were very rude to you." He said, moving over to her bed.

"I'm alright. I've been around those two since I was 12, I'm used to their insults. I apologise that you had to see such behaviour…from them and me."

He shrugged and stood beside her bed, looking down at her, smiling slightly.

"Are they staying long?" She asked.

"Until morning, the day after tomorrow." He said apologetically.

"It can't be helped…why are they here?"

"To discuss the merging of the two camps. Though I doubt it'll happen, with the attack only 6 days away, the camp can't be moved in time."

Sakura nodded and sighed sadly. Syaoran sat on the edge of her bed, making her look at him curiously.

"Was there something else?" She asked.

"I'm glad you're here with us, other than that man, Hito Uen."

"Thank you Sire, you don't know what that means to me." She said breathlessly.

Standing up, he headed towards the door. "I'd better go, I told Touya I'd be 'right back'. He'd be furious if he knew I was here."

Just as he was about to leave the tent, she spoke.

"Am I a distraction?"

She was thinking about the type of distraction Touya had mentioned to her earlier that day.

"Almost…but not yet." Looking back at her, smiling mischievously.

With that, he was gone, taking Sakura's breath with him, and leaving her with a fluttering heart.

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**How was that? A little S/S moment at the end.**

**Please review, I love reviews (as mentioned above).**

**This long chapter is dedicated to all my loyal (and patient) readers.**

**After reviewing wink, wink, nudge, nudge, don't forget to go to my profile and checking out my other stories. 'Reggie's Thoughts' is a short piece about my favourite couple in Archie Comics and the other is 'Punches, Kicks, Guns and Keh!'. The S/S chapter has been added, though I suggest you read all three chapters, as Ch 4 will be up soon.**

**copy exact minus one (I am aware that it would translate differently in Japanese, I only took the four words and put them together, it's very unlikely that that is grammatically correct in Japanese, so please bare with me…and correct me if you can). In a draft I had Latin words, but I thought Japanese would be more appropriate.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Wandering Wonderer**


	7. That's Low

**ZOMG with eggs on top!! I updated!!!! Yes, pulled from the deep abyss that in the pages of fanfiction, I have found Of Magic and Love. I heartily apologise, it's been what, over six months? I lost all inspiration for this story, then went on a Naruto-fanfiction spree, and all I could write was Naruto. Thus the story: Heroes of the West was born. Afterwards, it was all essay writing for Uni, and my muse for writing AT ALL was gone. But I'm back baby!!!**

**2000+ for all you patient people. I love you all!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CCS...man that would be cool!!! I spent 6 months fighting for the rights, but CLAMP wouldn't sell them. Why isn't $1000 enough? Kidding, but I still don't own CCS.**

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Sakura awoke the next morning with a yawn. She stretched languidly and then rolled onto her side. As her eyes fluttered open, the image on her Prince came to mind, and she smiled. Then, it suddenly morphed into Hito's face, and she sat up with a scowl.

"Hito…" She growled angrily.

She whipped her head towards the door of her tent, and then three seconds later, someone knocked. She smiled as she stood up, she was getting better and better at sensing someone's presence.

"Yes, who's there?"

"Excuse me Sorceress, the Prince sent me to wake you up. It's 7am, breakfast will be served in 10 minutes." Came an adolescent voice from outside the tent.

"Thank-you, I'll be out soon."

Moving over to a small table near her bed, she picked up a hairbrush and brushed her hair…as one does with a hairbrush. After brushing and tying her hair up, she washed her face in a basin near the entrance of her tent. Noting the time, she realised she didn't have time to get dressed, so she cast a spell and her pyjamas were replaced with a new training outfit. The pants still hugged her legs, and the shirt still hung loose, but this time the outfit was white with blue flower patterns sewn in. She picked up her sword, strapping it at her waist, and her staff, which she slung over her back.

As she exited the tent and the squire that had been waiting for her, left for the eating area, she realised that she hadn't bathed in a while.

"Hmm…I'll have to bathe tonight, after training." She thought to herself.

"Sakura, good morning! How did you sleep?" Takashi said, making room for her around a fire.

Sakura had collected a bowl of porridge and added honey and fruit. Sitting between Takashi and Yue, she began eating her breakfast. Eriol, who was sitting on the other side of Yue, looked curiously at Sakura.

"Sakura, why aren't you sitting with the Prince? You know as Sorceress, you are allowed to sit with the dignitaries."

Sakura swallowed her mouthful and looked up at Eriol.

"Why aren't you sitting with him? You're all his best friends. Besides…" She looked over to where Syaoran, Touya, Jimi and Hito were sitting. "I was told to stay away from him."

"Yeah, but since when do you listen to the Captain?" Takashi asked.

"It's not so much that, I'd be very happy to sit over there, if not only to spite him. But it's the other guests I can't stand."

Yue followed Sakura's gaze. "I noticed those two new faces. They must have been the two that arrived last night. Who are they?"

She wrinkled her nose distastefully. "That's my old sensei and his star pupil…the No. 1 of the Academy."

Eriol frowned. "What are they doing here, wasn't that Academy's No. 1 assigned to the King's camp?"

"They wanted to discuss the merging of the two camps." She said, taking another mouthful of porridge.

"Won't happen." Takashi said suddenly.

The other three looked at him, surprised. "How do you know?" Eriol asked.

"Well, think about it. The invasion is happening in 5 days, there's no time to move the camp."

Sakura smiled. "That's what Syao-his Highness said."

"Wow Takashi that's rare, a moment to intelligence from you!" Eriol laughed.

Takashi ignored them as they all laughed and he finished his breakfast. None of them noticed as Syaoran looked over at them with a look of longing, as if he wanted to be sitting with them, not his guests.

At 7.40, Syaoran stood up and the rest of the breakfast area fell silent.

"Morning all, I hope you are all well rested and fed, because training starts in 20 minutes. Please put all bowls in their usual spot, as we have two new dishwashers." Takashi and Sakura pouted. "And finally, please be in the training area at 8 sharp!"

He sat back down and the rest of the eating area bustled into life. Men were placing their bowls in the cleaning area and as Sakura and Takashi slowly made their way over to the cleaning area, Takashi made a faint whimpering noise at the sight of the huge pile…that was still growing.

They each picked up and apron and set to work cleaning the dishes. Sakura used her magic to adjust the temperature of the water, and added bubbles. She smiled at Syaoran as he came over and placed his bowl on the pile, to which he happily returned the smile.

"Good morning Sakura, it's nice to see you're now in the place where you belong." Jimi said, throwing his bowl in the soapy basin, splashing soapy water in her eyes.

She grunted in pain and closed her eyes. "Sakura, are you alright?" Syaoran asked, reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief.

"What's wrong Sakura, can't handle a little soap?"

Sakura ignored Hito, who had apparently approached, as she wiped her eyes with the handkerchief Syaoran had handed her. Hito, however, continued.

"But you see Sakura, this is where you belong…or any woman belongs, in the kitchen."

A silence swept through the area and all heads turned towards Sakura. She finally looked up at Hito with a deathly calm expression, soap now removed from her eyes. Syaoran was about to answer in defence of the young sorceress, but she spoke first.

"I'm more of a sorcerer than you can ever hope to be. I beat you in the Academy and I can beat you now." She hissed menacingly.

Hito laughed. "Well, according to the Academy books, I'm the best-"

"Only because of our sexist teacher. He gave you easy marks, whereas I had to earn them. You only ever beat me by one mark in theory tests and I beat your snotty nose 'every' time in the practical tests."

"Sakura, you will not speak of me in such disrespect. If we were at the Academy, you'd be put on cleaning duty. Oh wait, you already are!" Jimi said.

"Yeah, I thought that if I had to do the time, I should at least do the crime."

Everyone was still watching in interest and didn't notice as two dirty plates soared at Sakura's face. She did notice, and dodged them. She cast a spell to elongate her arm and she reached out and snatched the plates out of the air and flung them back at Hito. One hit him in the arm and the other hit him in the head. It was when Hito conjured a staff, that men started evacuating…but not going to far. Syaoran, Jimi, Touya, Eriol and Yue were close by, the soldiers among them wondering if the two sorcerers breaking out in combat was usual.

"Hito, break her defences, take every advantage." Jimi whispered to his protégée.

"Hai sensei!"

Takashi had to duck as Sakura unslung her staff from her back. He ran over and stood beside Eriol and Yue, panting softly.

Sakura's green eyes flashed with anger, however, she didn't move. She stood there and surveyed Hito.

"His stance…it's similar to usual, but…there's something different."

Knowing there was something different to usual, she stayed put. As he shifted his weight slightly, she realised what it was, but kept her smirk to herself. She steadied her footing and waited, for Hito was the one that 'always' attacked first. His mouth opened and Sakura's eyes glittered with acknowledgement. In a heartbeat, she was running away from the cleaning station, and heading to the training ground where there was more open space. She didn't want anything in the camp to be destroyed. Poor, predictable Hito followed and began his attack on the way, sonic sound waves.

Obviously, she was able to hear the attacks and she dodged them expertly. She did a final round off and landed on the far end of the training ground, facing Hito and the camp. Hito coughed, as the side effects of sonic sound attacks were that it hurt your throat.

Sakura stood watching his physique, noting that her earlier discovery of what had changed was true. He was built stronger than last time she saw him. She smiled outright this time.

"Excellent." She whispered. "He's stronger…but now he's also slower."

"Sorceress, you cannot fight with our guests, you are both on the same side!" Touya called out, and Sakura realised a crowd of spectators had gathered.

She didn't get to reply, as Hito sent a sonic sound wave attack at him. Without even thinking, Sakura sent a sonic sound wave of the exact same pitch and decibel. It intercepted Hito's before it reached its target and they cancelled out.

"Hito, you DO NOT attack any personnel at this camp, they are under my protection!" Sakura shouted, coughing quietly afterwards.

Hito shrugged and faced her again, getting into an offensive fighting stance. Sakura brushed an escaped strand of auburn hair from her face and moved into a defensive stance, however, her left foot was placed peculiarly.

Her purple haired rival ran at her, as she expected and she counted his steps.

"One, two, three, shift, four, five, six, shift, seven, eight, nine…LUNGE!" She counted in her head.

As he lunged, her peculiarly placed foot shifted, and she moved flawlessly into an offensive stance and dropped her staff. She dropped low and moved all her weight into her arms and hands as she delivered a low kick and knocked Hito off his feet. Before he even his the ground, she'd stood up, moved her foot under her staff and kicked it up and caught it. She did a back flip and landed five steps away, waiting Hito to stand up.

He was up in a second, having realised he was on the ground. He let his fury get the better of him, and he charged at her, staff held high. Sakura moved quickly, however, the angle of his staff unnerved her, as the bottom of the staff was placed at a 45-degree angle to her head.

"That's not right, it's not high enough to generate enough force coming down, and it's not low enough to knock my feet down." She screamed in her head. "That's not his style."

As she was so worried about the angle of the staff, she didn't see it as it hit her on the head. However, as she swayed on the spot, she realised something and gasped as she looked up.

"It hurt…but that means…that's not a standard staff. It-"

She dodged the next blow, and aimed another low kick at his legs, to which he dodged.

"That staff has a metal core…but why? It's heavier and slower."

She had to do a back flip and crouch down low to dodge the next blow and used her flexibility and agility to slide through his legs, and standing up behind him, facing away from the camp. Hito swivelled around and again held his staff at that unnerving angle. His mouth opened and she gasped…she couldn't dodge.

"KOUMYAKU RAIKOU!"

She couldn't do anything as lighting crashed down from the sky, travelled through Hito's staff and exited, striking her hard. There was an outburst from the crowd, except Jimi, who smiled secretly. Sakura shuddered and fell, collapsing to her knees. She dropped her staff and shuddered again, eyes closed and trying to block out the pain.

"Everything…everything is numb." She thought.

However, even in her vulnerability, Hito raised his staff again and Syaoran started running forward.

"STOP-"

"KOUMYAKU RAIKOU!"

Sakura's fingers twitched, but besides that, she didn't move. No one saw her lips move, so everyone was surprised when the lightning hit a shiny barrier and reflected back at Hito, striking him hard. He stumbled back and shuddered, just as Sakura had.

Syaoran had frozen mid-step and watched as the young sorceress shakily stood upright, and he joined in the cheers from the rest of the soldiers. As she stood facing Hito, her green eyes flashed in anger.

"You'd fight an enemy while they were down…that's low."

Hito snarled, as he stood upright, able to fight off the brunt of the attack because he had been subject to more training with lightening. He didn't even move in to a fighting stance, and charged at his old rival.

"I am the best!" He shouted, eyes flashing and spit gathering at the corners of his mouth.

Sakura sighed in relief. She only placed the bottom of her staff on the ground in front of her, and he tripped over it, falling flat on his face. She lifted her staff again and placed the base of it at his neck.

"You've lost Hito. If I was a real enemy, I'd break your neck now."

Hito only lifted a hand and slammed it on the ground…and the earth shook, unsteadying her. He was up in a flash and grinning at her.

"Sure…for a normal sorcerer."

Sakura stood, gaping at him. "You-you-you…you did that! You're a-a…a partial elementalist."

Hito smiled at her. "Isn't it great, we'll have someone powerful on the good side. We'll stand a chance against the Zaxu enemies!"

Before she could say a word, he stomped his foot and the earth shook. Sakura was ready this time, and timed the stomp, and before the shockwave hit her, she jumped in the air and landed on his staff, which, containing metal, therefore didn't break. Using the staff as a surface, she spun upon it and gave him a clean round house kick to the face.

Already weakened from the previous lightning strike, he fell. His legs crumbled from beneath him and he fell backwards, still conscious but unable to move. There was a great bout of cheers from the soldiers and Sakura turned and faced them, smiling gratefully at them. She took a glance back at Hito, who was still lying motionless on the ground, and then turned to face Syaoran, who was walking towards her.

"That was absolutely amaz-"

"Koumyaku Raikou…"

Hito had muttered the spell so quietly, that no one knew of its existence until Sakura was struck by lightening again. Though the strike was a lot weaker, so was she…and covered in sweat to help the electricity. A sound half way between a scream and a groan tore from her mouth and she fell forward, unconscious, landing in her Prince's arms.

"Sakura, Sakura…wake up Sakura!"

* * *

**OMG, why would I do that to Sakura?**

**Seriously though, thanks to all those people that have reviewed, I thoroughly enjoy and work with them. No flames please, though constructive critisism is welcome.**

**Ja ne!**

**-Wandering Wonderer**


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